Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 Enjoy!
Go enjoy your life Solomon cries. Find joy in all that you do, in your relationships, and in your labors. God made this life for you.
Solomon again is giving us a picture that stops at the grave. IN the grave there is no joy for this body to partake in any more. Solomon tells us to ‘get it while you can’ for it will come to an end one day.
I agree that this life will not last beyond death and that we will all meet that fate. But what happens in this life is important. It sets the stage for eternity. In this life we have some important choices to make. There are going to be hard times as well as joyful times. We have to learn to cherish both. Each brings with it times that will never come again and lessons we need to learn. So, be merry in the moments where you can. Be sober in the moments where silence is needed. Be willing to help one another at all times. And be at peace at all times.
Solomon’s statement “God has already approved what you do” (verse 7b) leaves me with a question. Does Solomon think God really approves of everything we do in our lives? Or is he saying that he knows that God will forgive us of our sins because He knew them before we were even born? That’s really the only way Jesus’ sacrifice would work. God put ALL of mankind’s sin on Jesus’ shoulders on the cross. This is past, present and future sins. NONE are a surprise to Him.
God wants His children to be happy. He wants us to be joyful. But He wants that happiness and joy to come from HIM, not our circumstances. Everyone in this world will experience happiness at one point or another in their life. Most will do so in response to their circumstances at the time. Happy about a promotion or raise at work. Happy because a new baby or grandbaby has just been added to their family. Happy because the work is done and it is time to rest. Even happy because their sports team has won a victory. These instances or seasons of happiness are important to enjoy but they cannot carry your through seasons of difficulties. They are dependent on what is happening around you and wax and wane with the events of the day.
True happiness and joy come from God. They are a fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). It is a choice to develop these ‘fruits’. They are not simply imparted but nurtured and grown. The Spirit gives the seed but we have to water it, care for it and protect it. Once that ‘tree’ is mature, its fruit shines forth and the winds of this world cannot topple it.
That ‘tree’ only grows when it is being watered by the river of relationship between you and the God. Keep the waters flowing to keep the fruit growing. Yes, eat, drink, be merry, love your spouse, and find enjoyment in all you do. But keep your relationship with God first. THEN all the other pieces will be easier to handle. And you will find joy in places you never dreamt possible! It’s there because it comes from God, not circumstances. It WILL survive the grave, kind of. It is a foretaste of the real joy we will experience in Heaven.
Father God, thank You for the joy in my life. Thank You that I can have joy even in the hard times. I have found more joy lately than I used to have. THAT is a gift from You, for which I am VERY grateful! THANK YOU for the music in my heart that can pull up the joy when it is lagging. Music has the effect on me because it brings my mind back to you. Keep me singing Father!
